


The Lee Chronicles

by Melody55



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry potter Hogwarts mystery
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2020-06-28 13:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melody55/pseuds/Melody55
Summary: Various one shots with Barnaby Lee and a Female Main Character was the main couple.I will be updating as I get inspiration for each chapter, not numerically.Warning...some of these chapters may contain sexual content. I will not go farther that making out, and I will try to keep the scenes pg-13. Thank you.





	1. Pregnant!?

It was supposed to be a relaxing day. I would go to Care of Magical Creatures and review Unicorns, I would check on Ketteburn’s Porlock and make sure she was fed and comfortable, then I would study in the library, go to the Great Hall to eat, then head to the Quidditch Pitch to watch Slytherin practice. I did not expect Rowan to run up to me while I was on the stands, and yell at me.

“Alice, how could you not tell me,” she loudly whined, causing me to close my book and stand to meet her. 

“Tell you about what?” I asked with a slight laugh.

“About the baby?” she harshly whispered.

It took me a bit to realize what she had meant. Baby? Then it clicked. “Oh, you mean the babies,” I almost laughed.

“Babies? As in more than one? How many?” she gasped.

“Three,” I simply stated, causing her jaw to drop. “I mean i didn't think it would be a big deal for you. Kettleburn-”

“Kettleburn knows you’re pregnant?” she shrieked. I froze, my jaw dropping. What the hell was she talking about? “Does Barnaby even know?” 

“Barnaby?” my brows furrowed. Wait, did she think that _I_ was pregnant? And with Barnaby’s child? My eyes traveled over to the field where the Slytherin team was still practicing. My eyes spotted the Slytherin in question, one of my best friends, and a beater for his team. He and his team seemed to be not paying attention to Rowan and I.

“Oh come on, we all know you fancy him.” my eyes snapped back to my friend. “You have since last year. Did you or did you not confess your feelings to him and shag him?” Oh Merlin, she really did think i was pregnant.

I couldn't help but laugh. “Okay, Rowan, I’m not pregnant, and I haven’t shagged anyone.”

“But, Penny overheard you talking about babies and names and-”

I held my hand up to stop her. “Barnaby and I are helping Professor Kettleburn with his Porlock, Ginger. She's the one having babies, not me. And I was talking about names because Kettleburn said I could keep one since I helped out.” 

Her mouth clicked shut. “So why didn't you tell me about them?”

“Because Ginger is very protective right now and only lets people she knows around her. Besides, I thought that you would rather be in the Library learning about them than in the field.” This seemed to ease her curiosity for the moment.

“But what about Barnaby?” she asked with a frown. “When are you going to tell him?”

“Rowan,” I sighed, the thought of him making my heart stutter and my cheeks tingle. “I don’t know if I can. I mean, yeah I really like him, but he literally has most of the girls swooning over him, save for our group. What chance do I have?” I sadly shrugged. It was true. Barnaby Lee was one of the most sought after bachelors in our year. He had been since we had first started. He was cute and strong, sweet and funny, and he had only grown more handsome over the years. Girls had already started to swoon over him our Fifth year, but when he made the Slytherin Quidditch team last year, his group of followers grew. 

“You fancy me?” a familiar and deep voice came from behind me. My eyes widened, slowly daring to glance to the side, at an empty field. Rowan and I had been so wrapped into our conversation that we hadn't noticed that the practice was over. My palms started to sweat and my heart beat faster as I could feel him behind me. I glanced at Rowan, who gave me an apologetic look that had a hint of amusement in it. Slowly, I spun on my heels to face him, his emerald eyes focused on me. 

“I- um,” I stammered. 

“I’m just going to, uh, go. Yeah, I’m gonna go,” Rowan excused herself, quickly making her way to the stairs. I watched as she disappeared. 

My eyes went back to Barnaby. “How’d I do?” he grinned. 

I laughed, taking a step forward, into his arms. “Amazing, as always.” I laughed, kissing him quickly. 

“Good,” he sweetly grinned wider, bringing our lips together once again, sending chills up my spine.

Each time he would kiss me, I would melt in his muscular arms. As wide smile would always spread across my lips, making my cheeks tingle and my heart beat with his. His arms were warm and comforting, and the scent of his cologne was intoxicating. If I had been honest with myself, I had had a crush on him since our fourth year, but it had only blossomed in the past year when we had both begun to help Kettleburn with his various animals. 

“You know, there was probably an easier way to tell them?” he laughed.

I shrugged with a smile. “There were many, but then they wouldn’t be as much fun. Besides, they were the ones that started the rumor that freaked you out in the first place.” I brought up. 

“But if I hadn’t freaked out, then we wouldn’t be here,” he countered.

“Touche,” I laughed when he winked, winding his fingers with mine. 

_“Alice, I have to know,” his voice startled me as he rushed up to me, out of breath and red in the face. My brows furrowed, setting the bag of food I had gathered down. “Is it Charlie’s?”_

_“Is what Charlie’s?” I asked. My cheeks began to tingle as he grabbed my hands, pulling me a step closer to him. His explanation had come out so rushed and jumbled that I could barely understand him. “Wait, Barnaby, slow down,” I told him, causing him to take a deep breath and start again._

_“I overheard Merula talking to Ismelda about how they heard Andre tell Diego that Tonks had told him that Penny heard you talking about babies and names and how you were pregnant,” my jaw dropped and I froze, hanging on each word he spoke, “I just want to know if it’s Charlie’s because Andre had said that he thought the father was your crush and I just want to know if it’s Charlie because if it is, then I'll step aside and let you two be together, but I think you should know that I really like you and I don’t want you and Charlie to be together.” He finished, gasping for air._

_I was stunned. I had no idea what to say. I didn’t think that my cheeks could heat as much as they did, or that my heart could hammer so hard. I wanted to say something, to grab him and kiss him, or to just be in his arms, but the only thing my body allowed me to do was whisper his name._

_“I know it’s stupid because you two are obviously together, but I thought you should know," he sheepishly continued, rubbing his neck. “And I guess, uh, congrats on the baby.”_

_My head quickly snapped out of it’s haze. Did he just congratulate me on a non existent pregnancy? “Barnaby,” I quickly said before he could continue, “I’m not pregnant and I’m not with Charlie.” I told him with a slight laugh._

_He sighed, clearly relieved, then his brows furrowed. “But I heard Andre say that he knew who the father was because you had a crush on someone. If it’s not Charlie, then who?” I bit my lip as my eyes traveled to the stone floor of the Artifacts Room._

_Who? Perhaps one of the hardest questions to answer in front of him. But, it was a question I had to answer none the less. “You,” I whispered before my brain could yell at me over the confession. His head tilted and his eyes narrowed. With a deep breath, I spoke up again. “You, Barnaby,” my eyes met his in time to see them widen. “I fancy you- a lot, actually.”_

_I was waiting for a reaction, any reactions. I was waiting for him to smile and kiss me, to frown and reject me, to yell at me, to walk away. But why was I afraid? Didn’t he say that he liked me? And if so, then why hadn’t he said anything? Did he think I was joking with him? But how could I? My eyes traveled down to the floor again, bit teeth biting my lip._

_“Alice,” he whispered, reaching a hand out to move a fallen hair from my face. “Alice, please look at me,” he pleaded._

_When my eyes finally met his, I could see a light in them. Any fear that I had vanished the moment he smiled. I let his hand tilt my head up as the other one slithered around my waist, bringing me closer into his firm and broad chest. My breath hitched as his head bent down, connecting our lips softly. My hand grasped his shirt as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue across my bottom lip to ask for the entrance I happily gave. Within a moment, I was pushed against the wall as the kiss deepened further, my hand winding in his hair as I heard him moan._

_When we finally parted, needing air, he gently rested his forehead against mine. “Wow,” I giggled._

_“Yeah,” he grinned. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”_

_I looked up at him with a mischievous grin. “How long?”_

_“Since fourth year,” he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks reddened._

_“Why didn’t you say anything?” my eyes softened in shock._

_“Because I know I'm not the smartest guy, and I know that I'm not good with words sometimes, and you were always busy with one thing or the other that I never really got the chance to say anything. Then when I could, I was too scared because you were Alice Murphy- The Alice Murphy. The curse breaking vault seeking, strongest witch in our year. I would hear every guy talk about how beautiful you were and how they wanted to be with you. I began to think that I would never have a chance. I was just happy with anytime I could spend with you. I thought it would be enough for me, then we started to hang out more one on one when we were helping Kettleburn and- I guess just being around you wasn’t enough anymore. All of those emotions I felt just became stronger, but you never seemed to notice. Merula even teased me on how obvious I was being-”_

_I nodded, “And I was being so oblivious.” I let out a small laugh. “I’m sorry Barnaby, I guess I was so focused on finding my brother that I missed everything. I knew that I liked you, but I never even thought to think if you would like me or not.” At first I had been so worried about finding the vaults to get my brother and save the school from whatever the curse was happening that I hadn't even considered love or dating. And when I knew that I had already fallen for him, I busied myself with more studying, training and searching to keep my mind occupied. But that never worked. With everything I did, he still passed over my mind and stayed. Then, I was too scared to tell him how I felt. Would he reject me? Would it break our friendship? Or worse, would he get hurt because of me? I knew that looking for the vaults was far from safe._

_“That doesn’t matter now,” he stroked my cheek with his thumb. “What does is that we both know and we can do something about it.”_

_“And what exactly do you want to do about it?” I grinned, hearing him laugh. Oh how I loved his laugh._

_“Well,” he began, “I want to take you out on a date and hold your hand. I want to be there with you through everything and I want to show you everyday how I feel about you.”_

_“Wow,” I widely smiled, “For someone who claims to not be good with words, that was pretty amazing.”_

_He only shrugged with a smile, pulling me closer into his firm chest. “I have my moments sometimes,” he smiled, lowering his lips._

_“You sure do,” I sighed, closing the gap._


	2. The Celestial Ball

Three hours. Three long hours of sitting in an uncomfortable chair while Penny yanked my hair into soft curls, scraping my scalp with the numerous bobby pins she used to pin a few back. Three long hours of her cutting, cleaning and painting my nails, and three long hours of my eyes nearly getting poked out by the eye shadow brush, eyeliner, and mascara wand. All the while, Tonks enjoyed the view, sitting atop her bed with her makeup done by herself within 10 minutes. I had practically leapt out of my chair when I heard the word, ‘okay’ come from Penny's mouth. 

“Finally,” I said, stretching my legs and arms.

“Not yet,” Penny corrected, dragging me back to the chair. “One more thing,” she said, raising her wand and muttering a spell, causing a cloud of colorful smoke to surround my head. The floral smell was too much. I coughed violently, covering my mouth while my free hand waved the cloud away. “Stop it,” Penny instructed, grabbing my hand. I pouted, vocally letting out a whine as my nose scrunched. “Oh relax, Alice.” Why did I feel like she liked torturing me? “There,” she finally said as the cloud vanished. “That's to help keep your hair in place and keep your makeup from smudging.”

“Does it have to be so strong?” I complained. “And why didn't Tonks get any?”

“Because I'm not trying to impress anyone,” the pink haired Huffelpuff replied with a grin. 

“Neither am I,” I lied in defense. They both paused and gave me a straight face, brows raised. “Okay, so at least I'm not the only one,” my eyes shot to Penny, who looked away with a blush.

“But she’s not our goal tonight,” Tonks shot back, jumping off her bad. “You are,” she grinned, pointing at me. I groaned. “Oh come on, we all know how much you like Barnaby.”

Even his name sent the butterflies in my stomach flying. Barnaby Lee was one of my closest friends, and one of the toughest and strongest wizard in our year. Yet, he had such a soft spot for so many things and he always made me smile. I loved listening to the pure passion he had when it dealt with magical creatures. He knew so much about them and knew exactly how to tame and befriend any of them. His eyes would always light up with excitement when he talked about them, especially Bowtruckles. It didn't hurt that he was handsome as well. There were days where I would want to get lost in his grassy green eyes, or snuggle into his strong arms. His smile was infectious and his smirk always made me swoon. I would find myself blushing anytime he so much as said my name. 

Years ago, he had confessed his feelings for me when I had tried to get him and Ismelda together, but he had never done anything after that. At the time, I had only seen him as a friend. Then, we started to study more and duel each other more for practice. He had been the one to catch me when a bludger had broken my broom during the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff finals. Not even my own team was fast enough to catch me, but he was. Now, in our seventh year, I had grown past a measly crush. My crush on the bull headed boy had grown into something that I could barely explain. Perhaps, the simplest way to say it was that I loved him, every bit of him. 

“I think we lost her,” I heard Tonks tease. I shot her a glare, but soon let out a laugh. It was true. It seemed like I would get lost in daydreams more and more often, especially since the curses of the vaults were all broken, and I had my brother back. Of course, he was traveling as a Curse Breaker, but I would still get letters from him and he would send letters to me any time he was somewhere new. 

I wonder what he would say about my feelings for the Slytherin boy? Would he be happy and want me to be too? Or would he disapprove like I knew my mother and father would? I was sure he would be behind me after everything, but if i had my heart broken, he would tell me to hold my head up and “ _Don’t give them what they expect, don't show then weakness_.” I would never.

Contrasting my 3 hours in the torture chair, Penny had her hair, makeup and nails done in a half an hour and Rowan had hers done within an hour. How was that possible?

“Because you didn't stop squirming,” Penny replied. 

“It’s almost time,” Rowan excitedly swirled in her red and gold dress. 

Once again, while Penny easily slipped into her gold and white dress, I had to be squeezed into mine. I literally had to hold onto the bedpost while Penny tightened the ribbon in the back. Why did Andre think it was a good idea to put me in a corset? I could barely breathe with the anxiety as it was. When I was finally done, Penny had smiled at her work. I would have gasped at the sight of myself if the Corset hadn’t been digging into my sides. Once again, Andre was a genius. The royal purple was gorgeous and skirt was soft and flowing. The sleeves that fell off my shoulders were each adorned with little silver pins that matched the hair clip Penny had decorated my hair with. 

“We ready to go?” Tonks asked, dressed in her own black green and brown gown. 

“Let’s go meet everyone,” Penny giggled. Suddenly, I felt sick. Penny had clearly noticed since she gave me a soft smile, taking my arm and dragging me with them. My tension eased once I saw my friends at the bottom of the stone staircase, laughing and chatting. Of course, it all flooded back as soon as I spotted Barnaby. Like always, he wore a white button up with the top button undone and a green tie around his neck. His sleeves were rolled up to show off his muscles. However, instead of his usual sweater, he had on a black satin vest. His hair was combed and his smile was bright as he talked to Charlie. 

“Don't freeze now,” Penny whispered in my ear before continuing down the steps, being greeted by Andre and Talbot. 

With a shaky breath, I continued down, not missing Andre’s comment to Penny, “We did good.” 

“If only you had made this dress less tight,” I looked at him. 

“But you look gorgeous just the same,” he drew me in for a hug. I rolled my eyes, but smiled.

“You do look very nice,” Talbot politely added.

“Thank you,” I replied. Penny and Andre had outdone themselves, but it would be all for naught if Barnaby didn’t feel the same.

After a moment, I could hear Charlie muffel a laugh. I turned slightly to face him, a brow raised curiously, only to find Barnaby looking away and Charlie with his hand over his mouth, no doubt grinning. He only lowered his hand and smiled. “You look good, Alice. Doesn’t she, Barnaby?” My heart skipped a beat when Barnaby had quickly nodded and agreed. 

My hand automatically pushed my hair behind my ear, only to lower when I realized that it was already back due to the many bobby pins. My hand quickly dropped and grabbed the side of my skirt. “Uh- maybe we should all go in.” I suggested.

“That’s what I'm talking about,” Tonks cheered. “Let’s dance.”

The Great Hall was a dream. The Christmas tree was lit up and decorated with the various lights and ornaments, circular table lined the walls, opening up to a large dance floor where multiple students had already started to gather. The fireplace was roaring and snow fell from the ceiling, never touching the floor. Penny had truly outdone herself with the planning. 

“Maybe you should go into party planning instead of being a potioneer,” I joked.

“Thought about it, but my heart lies with my potions,” she fake swooned.

“That, and a certain animagus,” I grinned, nodding toward Talbot, who had already gone to get himself a drink. “All of that sitting and getting my hair pulled made me thirst. Want to get a drink?” I asked, extending my arm. With a laugh, she agreed and liked her arm with mine.

“But what about Barnaby?” she whispered.

I looked back to see the Slytherin in question in a serious conversation with Charlie. “He seems busy right now.” I looked back at the blonde.

“But you will dance with him later?” she made me promise.

I nodded. “If he wants,” I replied. 

It didn't even take a half hour for Penny to be swept away by a blushing and nervous Talbot. And a moment later, Tonks had dragged me away to the dance floor with her, laughing as we went. For a while, the songs were upbeat and energetic, but as soon as there was a slow song, Tonks quickly excused herself, not one for romance. I began to follow her, but was stopped by a familiar classmate of mine, a Ravelclaw named Peter. He was supposed to be the epitome of tall, dark and handsome with a large brain, but he was thinner and less muscular than Barnaby, Andre and even Charlie. His black hair was slicked back with an insane amount of gel and he wreaked of “manly” cologne. I had only talked to him once or twice in class, but he seemed to know a lot about me. 

“Alice,” he smiled. It was almost fake. "I know you don't know much about me, but I was wondering if you wanted to dance? I’ve watched you for a while,” okay, creepy, “and I think that they best way to break the tension of to dance.” Could i say no? It would be easy enough to just say I was tired. But that would be rude. Wouldn’t it?

I was a little hesitant, but I slowly nodded. A bit too excited, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to the dance floor. The first thing I noticed was how close he kept me. My chest was practically pressed against his as one of his hands rested between my shoulder blades. His other hand awkwardly held my hand close to his chest. Did he think this was romantic? The next thing I noticed was his dancing in general. He kept stepping on the hem of my dress, or even my feet. And he never moved to the beat. Lastly, all he talked about was what he had seen me do and where he watched me. Even if it was him just seeing me in the library, it was still creepy. The dance couldn’t end soon enough. But, as soon as it did, I was passed off to someone else. One dance after the other, I was passed, twisted and turned from one guy to the next. Some I knew from class, others I had no clue who they were. One of the guys was an 11 year old 1st year who was dared by his friends to get a kiss from a girl. With that one, I simply laughed, but bent down to kiss him on the cheek before the next dance. His excitement was priceless, and when I looked up to see Penny and Tonks watching me, they were laughing as well. All of the others were like speed dating through dancing. 

Every time I caught the eye of one of my guy friends, trying to have them save me, they only looked away and pretended that they didn’t see me or shook their head. All but Barnaby. I could barely spot him in the crowd, and when I did, he wore a scowl. 

After about 10 songs and 20 guys, my feet were killing me. Seriously, why were there so many slow songs in a row? Where were the upbeat ones that I could drag Tonks back into? With each song that passed, I swore that the next guy who asked me to dance would get hexed from here to Azkaban. I even had an escape route planned, but all of that went out the door once i saw his green eyes staring at me. He had a gentle smile as he bowed at his waist, holding one hand out while the other was behind his back. I was lost.

“Barnaby,” I smiled, feeling the tingle return to my cheeks.

“I know you’ve probably had one too many dances, but would you do the honor of dancing with me?” His eyes shone as he looked up at me. My heart warmed at his smile and I giggled at how proper he was being. Had he done this before? 

“How could I refuse such a gentleman,” I giggled, taking his hand. He seemed to beam as our hands fit together. They were warm and comforting as he pulled me into a proper position. While his one hand fit with mine, extended and bent to the side, the other rested on the small of my back, gently urging me closer into him. I didn’t hesitate to move closer. He stepped in sync with me, flowing to the music. His eyes were locked with mine and I could easily follow his lead. 

“How has your night been?” he asked.

“Well it’s definitely better now that you’ve saved me from all of those treacherous men,” I half joked. 

“That 1st year couldn't have been that bad,” he laughed. 

I sighed. “But, alas, he was the only one worth remembering.” I laughed, My chest blooming at the sight of his large smile. “Thank you, by the way, for being my hero of the night.”

”That’s what I'm here for, right?” he winked. “To be the strong hero?”

“Well you’ll always be my hero.” The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them. He seemed to falter, but he quickly regained himself. “I mean that you’ve already saved me so many times, and you’re one of my best friends. I couldn't imagine losing you.” What was I doing? My mouth clicked shut as my eyes tried to find any scapegoat. 

I heard his laugh. “I know how you feel,” he began, but how could he? “Honestly, when I first met you, I was following what others expected of me. Then you taught me that I could be different from what people thought.”

“Yeah, I saved you from the big bad Merula and Ismelda,” I laughed. “Who ended up becoming our friend later on anyway.” It was odd how things worked out. 

“Yeah, a lot has changed,” he sighed. I could feel his heart slow, then quicken as he pulled me closer. I wanted to rest my head on his chest, to just sway with him. Just the two of us. And I would have, if it hadn’t been for a stupid Ravelclaw boy with platinum blonde hair. 

His smirk was almost predetorial as he walked up to us and tapped Barnaby on the shoulder. “May I cut in?” Even his voice was filled with venom. I could see and feel Barnaby tense as the Ravenclaw’s eyes targeted me. I gave his hands a squeeze and I nodded to him.

“I’ll find you later,” I promised. 

He nodded once, then thanked me with a kiss to my knuckles. I wanted him to kiss somewhere else, but it wasn’t the right time. And I still didn’t know if he liked me as much as I liked him. 

The Ravenclaw boy, Collin, was about as charming as I thought he would be, which wasn’t very much. He tried to hold be too close for comfort, and when I tried to move away, his grip kept me in place. He became easily possessive as I tried to look for an early escape. 

“I’ve noticed you around, Alice,” he began.

I scoffed, “You and just about every other guy that I’ve danced with tonight.” 

“Well it’s hard not to notice the famed Curse Breaker and her band of Misfits,” he grinned.

“Misfits?” I questioned, my brow raising.

“You, the potioneer, the golden boy of Gryffindor, The coward, the Death Eaters, the introverted bookworm, the freak with the color changing hair,” he named off nearly everyone in my friend group. 

“Oh I know that you did not just describe my friends as cowards, Death Eaters and freaks,” my jaw dropped.

“You say friends, I say tools and a means to an end,” he leaned down to whisper in my ear. I tried to pull away, but he held me tight. “Ah, ah, ah, we don’t want to cause a scene. Do we?” 

“Those people that you’re talking about are my friends, and they’re all stronger, braver and smarter than you ever will be,” I snapped. “They are loyal and kind-”

“Yes, but you only call on them when you need them, am I wrong? And if that isn’t the definition of tools, I don’t know what is.”

“I help them and they help me. We laugh and get drinks together, we study and practice together. You may think that they’re tools, but they’re not. And if you think that friends are only tools, then you’ll have a very lonely life.” My jaw was tight as I growled the words, careful for no one else to hear me. 

“And what about you and Lee?” His voice was dark. “Are you two just friends?”

“What do you mean?” I wondered, my eyes narrowing.

“I mean he’s not the brightest light in the box and he’s pure blooded Dark Lord follower, so what’s a pretty girl like you hanging around him?”

My jaw tightened. “His parents were the followers, not him,” I corrected with a growl. 

“Either way, he’ll turn if the Dark Lord ever comes back. Then you’ll see his true colors.”

“Do you even know him?” I hissed.

“Can’t say that I do,” the man smirked.

“Then what gives you the right to judge him, or anyone like that? Barnaby is one of the most kind hearted people I have ever known. He’s strong and brave, cunning and an amazing person, unlike you.” I stopped and tore my hands out of his grip. He seemed taken back by my comment. “Don’t you ever talk badly about any of my friends, unless you really want to see what I can do,” I threatened. 

He grinned. “He means more to you, doesn’t he?” I stayed silent. His eyes flicked over my shoulder. “You’d be better off without him. He’s the scum below your feet. He’s nobody and nothing. He could never love you like I could. Death Eaters are incapable of any type of love, besides that for themselves and the Dark Lord. He's a traitor Alice. He turned on his friends for you, what makes you think that he won't turn on you when the time is right? Barnaby Lee is-" Crack! I quickly drew my hand, now stinging and red, back to my side. His jaw was open and his hand covered where I had made contact. 

“Don’t you dare even utter his name, or else I will do far worse.” I threatened. “Thank you for the dance, it was very enlightening,” I growled before spinning on my heels and walking out of the Great Hall. I paid no attention to any looks that I got. I barely heard Tonks say that he was an ass before I passed her. 

The cool air hit my shoulders as I made it out to the courtyard. I tightened my jaw and shook with the disgust of what he had said. How could he even try to judge my own friends when he knew nothing about them? What gave him the right to say any of those things. Merula and Barnaby would never turn to the dark side, not after everything that had happened. And Ben wasn't a coward, he was a brave Gryffindor. Tonks was no freak, and would probably sock him for saying it, and Rowan might be an introverted bookworm, but who cared? She loved books. That wasn't a fault. As a Ravelclaw, he should have known that. 

I could feel the anger building in my throat, begging to be set free in one single shout. I took deep breaths. I couldn’t be seen as weak, not to anyone. “ _Don’t give them what they expect_ ,” I heard Jacob’s word play in my head. “P _rove them wrong_.” 

“Alice,” I heard Penny’s voice enter the courtyard. Quickly taking a deep breath, I turned to see Penny, Rowan, Merula, Tulip, and Ismelda coming toward me.

“Hey guys, what’s wrong?” I faked a smile.

“Cut the crap, Murphy. What did that guy do to you?” Merula snapped lightly. 

I took another deep breath and sat back on the fountain. “That asshole was talking bad about some of you guys and I couldn’t help it. No one talks bad about any of you, not when I’m around.”

“How heroic,” Ismelda rolled her eyes, her way of showing appreciation. 

“I’m sorry if I ruined everything, Penny,” I looked up at her. She shook her head and sat down beside me. 

“Don’t be. That jerk deserves more than a slap on the face,” Penny laughed. 

“But that was a pretty good slap,” Merula congratulated.

I laughed and grinned at all of them. “Thanks guys.” My eyes narrowed, looking over my friends again. Where were Tonks and the guys.

“Tonks and the guys decided to give Collin a talking to,” Rowan explained. I nodded.

“Hey, Alice, you okay?” Tonk’s voice came into the courtyard. Speak of the friends and they shall appear. Each of them had a worried expression, But Barnaby’s was filled with something else. Regret? Anger? Sadness? I couldn't tell.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I told them. “What happened to Collin?” 

“Snape sent him back to his dorm and gave him detention when he tried to attack Barnaby,” Charlie explained. 

“Tried to, being the key word,” Talbot laughed. 

“When he tried to punch Barnaby, he just blocked it, spun him around and bent his arm behind his back. He was down on his knees in a minute,” Ben clasped Barnaby on the shoulder. 

Usually, Barnaby would be proud to do something like that, but his eyes remained on me. 

“Well, I guess it's safe to go back in,” I joked.

“You sure you’re okay?” Tulip asked.

I nodded and stood with Penny. “Collin was an asshole and we shouldn’t let him ruin our night,” I told them. Without any questions, they all agreed and slowly began making their way back in. Like always, I was the last to follow. But I wasn’t the only one. 

“Alice,” Barnaby softly said my name. “Can I- talk to you?” he lowered his head. I nodded and looked toward the main door where Penny waited, Talbot’s arm around her waist. I nodded to her and she smiled softly before heading inside. “Collin told me what you said about me,” he began with a sigh, sitting on the fountain. “I- I wanted to thank you for sticking up for me like that.”

“Of course,” I whispered. “No one should say anything like that about someone they barely know. Besides, he doesn’t know you like I do. We're friends, Barnaby and friends stick up for each other, right?" I walked over to him and sat beside him. 

“Friends,” he shook his head, muttering under his breath. A moment of silence passed us. I watched as he spun his family ring around his finger. His brows furrowed and he shook his head again. “No, No, Alice, we’re not.” My stomach dropped and I gulped heavily to keep my lips from quivering. “Alice, I still feel the same way I did in 3rd year, more strongly than I did then. I should have done something sooner, but you didn’t show any sign that you felt the same and I- I just hid them. Then you said something during our dance that- and Collin had whispered something to me when I had his arm behind his back. He said that- he didn’t know why you liked me so much, what you saw in me. And when he said that, it gave me hope that- that you’re feeling may have changed.” My heart swelled as I listed to each of his words, hope bloomed in my chest. “I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really like you and if you don’t feel the same, then please tell and-”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I leapt into his arms, smashing my lips onto his. For a moment, he froze, and I drew back, my stomach suddenly regretting what I had done. One of my hands remained around his neck while the other could feel his heart beat in his chest. “Does that tell you how I feel about you?” I dared to ask. 

He slowly nodded, “I think I still need a bit more clarification,” he grinned softly. 

I smiled as he pulled me into him. Our lips melted and moved together, and my body pressed into his. One of his hands cradled my cheek while the other wound around my waist, holding me close, exactly where I wanted to be. 

“I love you, Barnaby Lee,” I whispered with a free breath. I felt my cheeks heat up as he looked into my eyes.

“I love you too, Alice,” he whispered back.

With the music of the dance softly in the wind, we stood in each other’s embrace, never wanting to leave. 


	3. Amortentia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning...this chapter contains sexual content.

Potions was one of my least favorite classes, mostly because Professor Snape completely hated me. So, it was needless to say how much I didn’t want to go to class, even before I knew what we were brewing.

“This is, perhaps, the most dangerous potion I will ever teach you,” Snape began. “You will study it, and brew it perfectly before the end of class, and when the bell rings you will all bring your cauldrons up to my desk to dispose of this potion. None of you will keep even the smallest droplet of this. Is this understood?” His eyes scanned over everyone in the class, stopping and narrowing on me. 

“Professor, aren’t we brewing Amortentia?” Rowan raised her hand. “How exactly is it deadly?”

“Dangerous, Ms. Khanna,” he corrected. “This particular potion is dangerous because I don't want to deal with any love sick and hormonal students,” he sternly said. “Now, can anyone tell me what Amortentia is and what it does?” 

No one raised their hand. They all knew the answer, but none wanted to be wrong. With a small sigh, I raised my hand before answering. “Amortentia is the most powerful love potion. When digested, it causes an illusion of love that’s more like an infatuation. Along with the regular ingredients, the potioneer may add a hair or tear from themselves or who will be on the receiving end of the infatuation. A pure potion will act as almost a truth serum, making the person who drinks it becomes a- as you so eloquently put it, Professor- a love sick puppy.” I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on the side of my lip. 

“And what of the smell and taste?” he questioned, obviously wanting me to fail. 

“It has no taste, which is why it’s perfect to slip into drinks or bake into chocolates and other things. And the smell is different for each person. It’s supposed to smell like what the recipient desires.”

He paused and lifted his head. “Ten points to Huffelpuff,” he drawled. “Now get to work. And remember that no one is to keep any. I will be watching.”

We all nodded, and soon the room became filled with the sounds of pages turning, stools being moved and footsteps as each student gathered the ingredients and began with the task at hand. 

“I wonder what I'll smell,” I heard Rowan quietly ask from beside me, adding the powdered moonstone. 

“Probably old books,” I joked.

“I bet we all know what- or who- Murphy will smell,” Merula snidely chimed in, making my cheeks tingle at the thought. I had to force my eyes to concentrate on the potion and not flick toward the strong Slytherin that Merula meant. “Aw, and she’s even blushing.”

“Merula, stop,” I warned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied. 

“Sure you don’t Murphy,” she laughed. “If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then why don’t you look over there?” Merula pointed to the table on the other side of the room. A table that sat three of our close friends, and my not as secret crush. Going against Merula, I glanced toward the table where our four friends were laughing. Andre had dramatically thrown his scarf over his shoulder while Penny faked a swoon. Everyone knew that she had fallen for our friend Talbott, and Andre himself would blush at the mere mention of the Gryffindor beater, Mathew Sherahd. I knew Miguel to be a flirt, but he had calmed down over the summer, possibly growing a crush of his own. Then, there was Barnaby Lee. He was handsome and cunny, caring and easy to talk to. His parents had been Deatheaters, but Barnaby was the farthest thing from them.

I had met him back when Merula and I were still enemies. He was the brooding and tough Slytherin who followed her without question. But when my friends and I needed help, he was there, quickly growing into one of our own. Over the years, we had all grown close with him, but it wasn’t until our fifth year that I really got to know the animal loving Slytherin. We had studied together since we both wanted to be Magizoologists, and duelled against one another, practicing for the vaults and any threats that came. We had both tried out and made our House Quidditch teams, him being a Slytherin Beater and I, a seeker for Huffelpuff. Somewhere down the line I fell for him, and fell for him hard. Each time our teams played against one another, I had to struggle to concentrate. I would find myself blushing at the most random times and would always smile around him. He was the epitome of the nobel dark knights that I had read about as a girl. He was kind hearted and brave, cunning and resourceful. And his grin always made me weak in the knees. 

“Hello?” a voice questioned, fingers snapping in my face. My eyes snapped back to Merula. She laughed, lowering her hand. “Oh yeah, no clue what I’m talking about." Sarcasm dripped from her words. 

I only rolled my eyes and shook my head, turning my attention to the book and ingredients. Like most of our potions, Rowan and I had finished first, just before Snape walked past our table. He eyed the mother of pearl sheen potion and the spiral steam that rose from it. His nose turned up as he congratulated us. 

“Will either of you like to share what you smell?” he drawled, eyeing Rowan and I.

Rowan gulped and slowly nodded with a stiff body. I watched as she bent over and closed her eyes, taking in the scent. “Old books, lemons and-” she paused, looking down at her hands, “And smoke, like from an explosion.” My eyes narrowed, wondering what they could mean. Books were her favorite things, and the lemons were probably from her favorite deserts, but what was with the explosive fire?

I had been so caught up in who Rowan smelled that I hadn’t even noticed that Snape was watching me, waiting. “Care to share?”

“Yes Professor,” I cringed inside, turning my eyes down and closed. The aroma wound around me, relaxing my nerves and any tension that I had. A small smile spread across my lips. “I smell falling rain,” like the rain Jacob and I used to always play in as kids, “Caramel and Cinnamon apples,” like the deserts that my mum bakes every Halloween and Christmas, “And-” I paused at the last one, my eyes flying open to meet Snape’s. His brow raised expectantly. “And grass,” I lied. Happily, he didn’t make me specify anything more, and passed onto the next table.

For the rest of the class, I wrote notes on the variations of the potion, how to make it weaker, stronger, the foods it could and could not be mixed with. All the while, my eyes remained glued on my paper. If I had even a small glance at Barnaby, my face would heat up and turn as red as Chinese Fireball. I let out a deep sigh as the bell rang. Rowan had offered to take the potion up, so I could take as long as I wanted to gather my things. And by the time that I had, everyone had already exited the classroom. 

“Ms. Murphy,” Snape’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “I suggest that when you lie to me next, you learn to do it better. Now tell me, what was that last ingredient that you smelled?”

I sighed, looking around the room. It was still just us. “Cologne,” I told him, “A musky cologne.”

“I suppose that would belong to Mr Lee?” My eyes shot open. “I see the way you look at him, just don’t get distracted,” he warned.

“Yes Professor,” I bowed my head before leaving. 

Since I didn't have anymore classes for the day, I decided to grab a quick bite and practice on the pitch. On the way, I had run into Kettleburn and promised to help him and Barnaby take care of the Magical Creatures. After a few laps around the pitch, each time beating my previous speed record, a few dips and dives, and the new trick Madam Hooch had taught us, I headed to the locker rooms for a quick rinse, then to study in the common room that welcomed students from all house. By the time I had sat down, it was already 3 in the afternoon. 

I had barely gotten my books out before my stomach grumbled. 

“Here Murphy,” Merula handed me a plate with a single brownie on it, “we saved you the last one.”

I eyed it cautiously, taking the plate. “Why? What did you do to it?” It was oddly nice of her to save me anything, and when she could only shrug, I knew it had to be poisoned. “Thanks, but i think i’m good on sweets right now.” I told her, setting the plate down on the table. She only shrugged and went back to talking to Ismelda.

Luckily, Penny had made cookies that everyone shared, and Rowan had grabbed me a water. We had laughed and studied, and Rowan had told me what the smoke in the potion meant. She blushed when I gestured over to Diego, the fantastic dueler. Suddenly, it all made sense. She had been spending more time practicing her dueling skills, and always suggested that Diego help her instead of me. By 3:30, I had finished my Transfiguration essay and began my Charms quiz.

“Where’re Charlie and Barnaby?” Penny asked, looking around the room.

My eyes shot open and I rushed to get my things together. “Uh, Charlie is at practice and Barnaby said he was helping Kettleburn." Diego answered, his brows furrowing in confusion as he watched me scramble to gather my belongings. "Alice, what’s up?”

“I was supposed to meet Kettleburn and Barnaby like a half hour ago. Sorry, guys.” Without thinking, I took a sip of the water Rowan had given me. “Thanks,” I said quickly, setting in back on the table before running out. 

It wasn’t until I was almost to the field that I had started to get light headed. I had to lean against a tree, but my head still spun. I raised my hand to my forehead. I was burning up. My whole body felt like I was on fire. I could feel my legs weaken and my whole body shiver. My sight began to blur, but I was still able to see the tall Slytherin quickly walking toward me. “Barnaby,” his name fell from my lips in almost a moan. 

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that my skin was still scorching hot, but now it tingled. My mind felt light and good, and I was surrounded by that musky cologne. My eyes opened to see Barnanby looking down at me. Had his eyes always been that lush and green? Had he always been so handsome? He almost looked angelic with the light above, peeking through the treetops. My name on his lips was like a song that i wanted to play over and over. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Barnaby,” I sighed happily, sitting up from his strong and gentle arms. 

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked. “I- uh, was just coming to look for you.”

“I’m fine,” I giggled, scooching closer to him. “I just felt a light headed, but i'm fine now that you’re here.”

His cheeks seemed to redden. “Uh, okay.” I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he gulped. “Um, Kettleburn needed to know where the Porlock food was. We- uh, ran out.” he sheepishly ended, rubbing the back of his neck. 

I nodded mindlessly, biting my lip as my eyes carefully wandered to his mouth, then his red cheeks, then down to his firm chest and bulging biceps. I couldn't help but to think how warm his arms would feel around me, and how good his touch would feel. "I know where it is," I leaned in to whisper in his ear, giggling as I heard him inhale sharpley. Quickly, I stood, extending my hand toward him. “But you have to follow me though,” The words had spilled from my lips before i could stop them. My brain was yelling at me to stop, but I couldn’t. It was like I was on autopilot.

He had only nodded, taking my hand to follow me. With a sweet grin, I led him to the Food Shed on the other side of the field. He had entered first, and i had followed suit, closing and locking the door behind me. As he whipped around to face me, a question on the tip of his tongue, I leaned my back against the door.

“Barnaby, do you like me?” I questioned. 

His eyes narrowed in confusion. “I- of course i like you, Alice. You’re one of my best friends.”

My head shook and I pushed myself off the door. “No, I mean, do you like me as more than a friend?” With each step I took toward him, he took one step back. “Do you fancy me?” His back hit the table behind him. “Do you want to kiss me, hold me- touch me?” He licked his lips, his eyes darting from my lips back to my eyes. “Because I really want you, Barnaby. Every time I’m around you, i get this irresistible urge to pull you down,” I grabbed his tie and dragged his head closer to mine. “Every time I'm around you, I just want you to touch me, to drag me away to some dark corner and kiss me senseless." My free hand sprawled onto his firm chest. “So I ask you, do you want me?”

“Yes,” he whispered, and that was all it took.

In the next moment, he pulled my waist into his, dragging his lips down onto my own. Our lips clashed as we moved, our bodies warming more than ever before. My hips rolled as he picked me up, spinning me so i was sitting on the table, my legs wrapping around his waist. I moaned at the pressure of his growing bulge, reveled in how I made him feel. My teeth tugged on his bottom lip, making him groan and his eyes darken. His tongue barely ran across my lower lip before I granted him access. I gasped for air, but moaned as he immediately began sucking on my neck. His hands ran up my sides, sliding my cardigan off. My fingers wove in his brown hair, scrapping his scalp and making him groan and kiss me harder. And oh how I loved it. I felt invincible. Each place he touched sent a chill up my spine. He was so close, but I wanted more. I shivered as his hands ran up my bare thighs and under my skirt. I moaned more when his bulge ground into my core, causing an electrical pulse to spread throughout my body. 

With each kiss, my mind gained more and more clarity. The veil slowly began to lift, leaving only my natural feelings, the same ones that I had always felt around him. It was a feeling that not even amortentia could replace.

I froze. My eyes widened and my heart stopped. They wouldn’t. They couldn’t have, could they? Barnaby stopped, his chest rising and falling quickly as he regained his breath.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” he asked with a smile. My eyes connected with his and I gasped, my hand quickly rising to cover my mouth. “Alice?” he asked, this time more concerned. My head shook rapidly and I jumped off the bench, quickly unlocking and opening the door. “Alice?”

I gulped, trying to hide any fear. “The-um. The food is up there,” I told him, pointing to a higher shelf. He didn't even look. All of his attention was on me. He tried to reach out to me, but I couldn’t get drawn back in. I ran, ran anywhere but there. I ran until I reached the common room, my friends still there.

“Geez, Murphy, something wrong?” Merula laughed. 

The brownie. My eyes snapped in her direction and I pointed furiously at her. “You, what did you do? Where did you put it?”

Her jaw dropped as she jolted back. “Murphy, what are you-”

“Where did you put the potion, Merula? You couldn't have put it in the brownie, so where?” 

“Murphy, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Merula, I just kissed Barnaby because of that stupid potion, now where was it?”

“It was in your drink,” Rowan’s voice softly spoke up. My eyes snapped to my timid friend in a death glare.

“Rowan, You gave Alice a potion?” Penny sounded shocked.

“Oh can it, Penny, we all knew this,” Diego defended.

“Wait, you guys all knew about the Amortentia?” My jaw dropped. The room fell silent. Some eyes went wide, others tightly closed their mouths. My arms folded and I glared at them. “Look, I don’t know what you guys were thinking, but it does not justify putting Amortentia in my food.”

“In your drink,” Rowan quickly corrected. The water. I hadn't had a chance to drink any of it before running out.

“Either way,” I clenched my jaw. Diego and Andre glanced at one another, a slight smile flicking onto Andre’s mouth before he became serious again. 

“What’s wrong, Alice, you told him how you felt, right?” Diego grinned, leaning back in his chair.

“That’s not the point." I growled. "The point is that you guys slipped Amortentia into my drink.”

“So it was all because of a potion?” the sad voice of Barnaby came from the doorway behind me. 

I whipped around. His arms were crossed, showing off his various muscles, I could see my yellow cardigan peeking out from his arms. His eyes were soft, a mixture of confusion and sadness within them. "Yes," I sadly answered. "I mean no," I corrected, "not all of it." He stayed silent and everyone else did to. I imagined Andre grinning, probably the mastermind behind all of this chaos, and Diego silently fist bumping him. Merula and Ismelda were probably grinning, but Rowan and Ben would have been slinking into their seats. Everyone else would have been proud. 

"Can we talk?" Barnaby spoke up. "Alone," he specified, his eyes darting over to Merula and the others.

Slowly, I nodded, suddenly terrified. As I reached the doorway, I turned back and pointed at my friends, landing on Rowan. "We are not done talking," I sternly told her.

It was times like these where I felt like a mother, always taking care of her troublesome kids, but as I walked with Barnaby, I couldn't help but feel like a child in trouble, or a terrified teen that was about to be rejected.

My heart was beating as fast as it would have been if I was flying through the sky, the snitch just an inch away. My palms were sweating as our fingers brushed once, twice, three times, never tangling together. The silence was doing nothing for my nerves, yet I still felt safe around him. Neither of us dared to look up at the other, except for when he quietly handed me my cardigan, making me blush at the memory of why I lost it in the first place. 

When we had finally stopped, we had ended up at the lake. My breath shook as I finally glanced up to see his emerald eyes staring back at me. They had always been so mesmerizing, like I could dive into them or bask in their warmth. He smiled softly and took my hand, leading me to sit beside him. 

"I come here to think sometimes," he began. "The peace always helps clear things up for me." I nodded. "You know, when I was little, I used to have a nanny that would always read me these stories of heroes and adventures, damsels and knights. I was always grossed out when she talked about love and the characters kissing because my brothers said that girls carried diseases." I smiled, imagining a younger Barnaby running from girls that wanted to hug him. "For the longest time, I was convinced that I would never need love, that I was the dark knight that was strong enough to go on quests by himself, but would never get the girl. Then, as I grew older, I thought that I didn't deserve love. I thought that, because my parents were Death Eaters and bad people, that I was a bad person that didn't deserve love either. And then, you showed up. You duelled me and won, and I switched sides because of you, and you turned everything I had known inside out. You were kind and patient, funny and strong, and I couldn't stay away from you. Suddenly, I began to think that I did deserve it after all, that I deserved the happiness that all of those characters got in the end of their stories. I thought that I deserved you," my heart broke as his smile weakened. He did deserve me, or someone better, at least. "I knew what I would smell before we even started reading about Amortentia. I knew that I would smell oranges," his favorite snack, "the fresh grass of the animal field," his favorite place to be, "and your floral perfume." Wait, what? He smelled me?

My lips parted as air was sucked into my lungs. "Barnaby," 

He just shook his head to stop me, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. "I really like you, Alice. I have for a long time, but if what happened earlier today was just because of a potion, then please tell me." His voice was soft, full of hope, but shaking in fear.

My eyes misted. "It wasn't," I told him, "not all of it, at least."

His brows knit together. "I don't understand." 

"Well, I wouldn't have jumped you like that," I laughed. "That fearlessness was the potion. In all honesty, I was terrified to tell you the truth because I don't want to lose you, Barnaby." I paused. "Do you know what I smelled in my potion?"

He nodded slowly. "Apples and rain and-"

"And you." I cut in. "I smelled your musky cologne." I could tell he was still confused, but I smiled when his face lit up in recognition. "Yes, my actions were because of the potion, but it only got rid of my fear. Rowan knew how much I liked you and, apparently, decided to give me an extra push." 

"So it wasn't fake? You do like me and, uh, you do-want me?" He grinned at that last one and I laughed.

"Yes, Barnaby, I really like you and I-" I didn't even get to finish before Barnaby had crashed his lips on mine, his hand cradling my cheek. I laughed as he managed to pick me up and spin me, never breaking our contact. 

"Then I think that makes this question a lot easier," he grinned and I felt my heart explode. "Do you want to grab a drink some time, as a date?"

"Only if we can pick up where we left off in the food shed some time," I winked. His eyes darkened for a moment and his grin turned almost devilish.

"I think I can make that happen," his voice vibrated.

"Good," I grinned myself, dragging him down by his tie, kissing him deeper that I had ever done before. And oh, how I loved when he moaned my name.

"I got to hand it to you, Khanna," Merula began, "you managed to basically drug your best friend, after somehow sneaking the potion out of class. How?"

"Yeah, how did you do that?" Penny wondered. "I mean, Snape was watching everyone so closely."

"Actually, Snape let me," Rowan explained. "He saw me sneaking the vile but he seemed to smile at it."

Diego laughed, "looks like even Snape was tired of them dancing around each other."

"That, or he's truly a romantic," Bedea chimed in. In truth, it was a little bit of both.


	4. Romania Pt. 1

The mornings of my days off were supposed to be easy. I was supposed to sleep in and wake up to a purring kneazle beside me, or a playful niffler wiggling her tail in the air. I was supposed to be able to stretch before I lazily went through my morning process. I was _not_ supposed to be woken up by the sound of heavy footsteps in my kitchen or the sound of things being rummaged through. I was not supposed to wake up cursing myself for giving Charles Hugo Weasley a key to my house. Yet there I was, glaring at the ceiling while I listened to the red-headed boy moved around my kitchen. 

With a groan, I threw my blankets off of me, slipping on my slippers as I got out of bed. My eyes glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even late enough for my niffler, Argent, to be asking for food. She was still sound asleep in her bed of shiny rocks and metals, twigs and dirt, spread across an indented pillow that I had bought her. I slowly made my way to the door, my eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare as I made my way down the stairs. 

“Charlie, I gave you a key for emergencies, not so you could break into my house at 5 in the morning on my day off,” I grumbled. 

“But I made coffee,” he beamed. Two things ran through my mind as I took the steaming cup of coffee from his offering hands. 1) Making coffee was his saving grace for the morning. 2) the red-headed dragonologist definitely wanted something. 

“What a way to bribe me,” I laughed softly. “So what brings you in on this glorious morning? What do you need?"

“Straight to the point, huh?” he cringed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Charlie, I’ve known you since we were 11. I know when you’re bribing me,” I grinned, taking a sip of my coffee. 

“Well, you know how the other sanctuaries are coming today?” I nodded. It was hard not to know about the Sanctuary Exchange Program when I was one of the head Magizoologists. During the next three months, we would be housing different Doctors, Magizoologists and Dragonologists, with the possibility of permanent transfers after. “And you know how I’m on the committee with-,” he gulped, “Marissa?” I grinned, knowing fully well how much of a crush Charlie had on our raven haired friend. “Well I need your help.” 

I sighed. "Charlie, today is my one day off, and I'm sure you can handle the welcoming party."

"It's not the welcoming party I'm worried about. It's being alone with Marissa," he complained. 

"Since when is the great Charlie Weasley afraid of a girl?" I laughed.

"Alice, this is serious," he whined. "I haven't liked a girl like this since Jenny Alistar in fourth year. Please help me," he stuck his lip out and tried to do the usual puppy dog eyes that never worked.

"Can't help you," I told him before downing the last of my drink. In a last ditch effort, he stuck out his bottom hip and tilted his head with pleading eyes. I could only roll my eyes. Why did he think that would work? It never did. "Marissa already likes you, so just be your charming, usual self and you'll do fine." I gave him a weak smile before standing.

"What if I said that there was a very interesting person coming in the Ireland group? And I know that he's going to be here the whole three months?"

"I would say that I don't care if Roger McGhallan is coming because I'm not going to date my boss's egotistical nephew." I shot back beginning to walk away.

"Aw come on, you haven't even met him. And you need a good shag. When was the last time you had one?"

"Okay one, ew, I am not telling you that. And two, what are you talking about, I met him at the Holiday party last year. The guy wouldn't leave me alone. He kept going on and on about what new thing mommy and daddy had given him and how amazing he was, and how we would be perfect together if I quit my job and wore dresses and make-up more often. Honestly, how in the bloody hell could you ever think he would be right for me?"

"I never said he would be perfect for you, only that he would be a great shag.” He shrugged. "But either way, please help me. You know how weird I act around her, especially when I'm alone with her. I need your help."

"You won't be alone," I laughed. "I know that Kaitlyn and Anthony are on the committee as well, and Sadie is helping show people to their apartments. And it's not like you won't have anything to do but talk to her. You'll be busy welcoming guests." He groaned and I grinned. "Aw, cheer up Charlie, you'll be fine."

An owl knocked on my window, shifting my attention. As Charlie wallowed in his self-pity, I grinned softly and made my way over to the window. The beautiful bird cooed as I untied the scroll from it’s foot. Its eyes shut gently as I stroked its head before it flew off. Shutting the window once more, I opened the letter and walked back to the kitchen. I frowned as I read the words. 

_Dear Alice,_

_I know you are supposed to be off today...blah blah blah...In need of assistance...Ginger went into labor...blah blah blah...Only one with experience. Please help._

_Sincerely, Cassandra_

I groaned on the inside. Merlin forbid that I have one single day to myself. “Apparently Ginger has gone onto labor and I have to go help,” I quickly told Charlie.

“The moody Porlock you were telling me about last week?” Charlie spoke. I nodded, dashing up the stairs to change . “She picked one hell of a day to give birth,” he laughed, loud enough so I could hear it from the second floor. 

“I know," I responded. “It seems like no one wants me to have a bloody day off.”

“Does that mean you’ll have time to help me with the committee?” He cautiously called up the stairs. I could practically see his cheeky, yet cautious grin. 

I only laughed as I slipped my tall brown boots on over my thick black leggings. “No,” I answered, looking at my reflection once more. My hair was tied up high, the long ash brown tresses still cascading down the thin, black long sleeved shirt and brown leather vest. Part of me cursed our uniforms, but at least they had room for individuality. My hand rose slowly, brushing against my cheek. Even after two years, I still dropped at the sight. 

It had been two years since the Dark Lord was defeated. Two years since Ismelda, Rowan, and even my own brother had betrayed us all and were sent to Azkaban. Two years since I had been kidnapped by them and brought to the Lee estate, where I was promptly beaten by the older two heirs, and cursed by the youngest. He had broken my heart years before, choosing to side with his family over our friends- over me. Before I was captured, I thought that there was still hope for him, that maybe he joined them only out of fear. I was wrong. The moment he pointed his wand at me, the moment the shine in his eyes dimmed, I knew he was long gone. 

I had cursed and screamed and cried as the pain seared through my veins, his eyes remained cold and his lips tight. I begged and pleaded, tried to have him remember what we had all gone through, Why he had joined us for the cursed vaults, why I had loved him. They all fell upon deaf ears. It had been two years since I had last seen him on the battlefield, since I had seen that gentle face turn cold, his emerald eyes pained as he battled his own brothers, killing the eldest in the process. He had joined us in the last minute, but the damage was already done, and I had the scars to prove it. 

Now, not only was I a Head Magizoologist of the animal sanctuary in Romania, but I was also a certified healer of humans, dragons and every other species known. I had friends from work, and I still had contact with most of my friends from school. I loved my animals, and I was happy. The war was over and the Death eaters were caught and sent away. Time had healed most of the voids that death had brought, but the dark vines that stretched up my face were a reminder each and every day of what had happened and who I had lost. 

With a glance at a curious niffler and kneazle, I grinned those thoughts away and picked Argent up. I could hear her protests as I made my way down the stairs. Luckily, Charlie was still waiting there without a cup of coffee in his hands. His smile dropped as I passed him the squirming animal. 

“You’ll do fine with Marissa, Now, since you broke into my house, you get to feed Argent and Hazel,” I smiled. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight at the bar, yeah?” With a frown, he nodded. “And don’t forget to lock up,” I called over my shoulder as I left. 

The day may have started off on the wrong foot, but I had a feeling that it would get better. 

I was wrong. I was so terribly wrong. The poor porlock’s labor lasted almost four hours with complications. I had to yell so many orders to the assistants to get water and towels and medical supplies that I thought my voice would have given out. Ginger lost so much blood that we thought we would lose her, and one of the babies almost didn’t make it. I had to spend over five minutes rubbing the little runt in a blanket to try and get it warm enough to make a sound. My hands quivered in relief when it finally moved its head and let out a whimper. And that wasn't the end of it. 

Ginger herself had to be rushed to the Animal Care Unit for an hour of surgery. But, when all was said and done, the babies were healthy and Ginger was in stable condition. If we were lucky and things continued to progress, we would be able to introduce them in three days time. But that wasn’t something to worry about in the moment. What I did need to worry about was the list of other tasks that I had somehow been roped into doing. 

I sighed, my eyes taking in each word that my assistant Sasha gave. 

“There’s a limp hippogriff and a sick streeler, a plimpy with some burns, and a mooncalf that can't stand,” she meeky listed off, pushing her glasses up in the end to look up at me. 

“Pelia?” I asked, glancing at Anthony, a friend and co-worker. He nodded with a sigh. I laughed, "Knowing that troublesome calf, she probably went somewhere she wasn't supposed to and got injured." I was right, the little bugger had wandered away from her herd and over to the Grindlow River, where she got chased away and fell. All I needed to do was wrap her leg up and keep her over night. And she wasn't even the easiest. The Hippogriff ended up having a splinter, and the streeler just needed its stomach pumped (I made a note to remind Kevin not to feed them his trail mix again). All I had left was the plimpy. 

My eyes traveled over the little outdoor medical station. A low wooden fence surrounding the otherwise open area, complete with a large wooden table in the center and a few wooden table along the line of the fence, holding various medical equipment and medicines. It was strange, usually, they would have the creature already prepped, or at least in a cage, bucket or tied to a post. 

"Looking for this little thing?" I heard a familiar voice call from the entrance. I turned to see the tall man with short purple hair walking toward me, a bucket in one hand and a clipboard in another. I laughed, quickly waving my wand to create a pool like area on the table, before taking the bucket from his hand and placing it by one of the legs. I looked back over to see him and a petite girl with silver and blue hair. “Can’t be too long, so this is Elira. She’s going to be your assistant for the next three months.”

My eyes shifted between my purple haired friend and the petite girl. “What’s going to happen with Sasha?” I rose a brow, my arms crossing over my chest. 

“She’s going to be helping a Magizoologist that’s visiting from Africa,” he replied. “Now, if you excuse me, I have to get going, more committee things to do and all. See ya at the Pub tonight,” he called over his shoulder before walking away. I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes as he grinned, vanishing through the trees. 

“Elira, was it?” I questioned, dropping my arms to my side. She nodded enthusiastically and held her hand out for her. With a grin of my own, I shook her hand and continued. “I guess I'm going to be your trainer for the next few months. I’m A-”

“Alice Murphy,” she interrupted, bouncing on her feet. She looked like a child who was meeting her hero. “I know, I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re the Hogwarts Curse Breaker and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. You were one of the best duelers in your year, even taking down Rakepick. You excelled in every class, but chose to be a magizoologist, easily rivaling Newt Scamander.” I was speechless. My jaw dropped, opening and closing several times as my mind tried to grasp how she could have possibly known about me. “I’ve heard about all of your stories from Mr. B. Oh- Mr. B was my trainer in Ireland. Sometimes I thought he could only talk about you,” she laughed. 

“And, who exactly is Mr. B?” I had to ask, my chest thinking that it was ready for anything.

“Barnaby Lee,” she laughed, making my stomach drop. It definitely was not ready for that. I groaned inwardly. There was literally no way that this day could get any worse. Then again, knowing how the universe worked, I don't want to press my luck. “I’m sure you know, but he came with all of us to study the animals here. But he also wanted to reunite with some old friends. One being you.” oh this girl had no idea what she was talking about. Why in the seven hells would Barnaby Lee want to see me? Did he want to revel in the damage he had done to my life?

“And- Where is he now?” I regretted the question as soon as it slipped from my lips.

“Um, I think he wanted to see one of your other friends, Charlie, at the Dragon Sanctuary,” she squinted her eyes. 

I cleared my throat, wanting so badly to change the subject. “So, uh- This Plimpy has some burns that we have to treat. It should be pretty easy.” The words came out strangled and I felt a shiver run through my body. My eyes fell to the terrified Plimpy that trembled in the bucket of water. I had to focus, and what better way than on something I loved to do, caring for animals. With a deep breath, I knelt down and smiled weakly at the creature. That seemed to ease it’s fears, and I felt my own worries slipping away. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing a quiet and studious girl behind me. “What can you tell me about Plimpy’s?” I questioned. 

“Plimpy’s are small, round and magical fish with two legs that end in webbed feet. They live in deep lakes, and fed on water snails. They are not dangerous, but they are known to nibble on the feet and clothing of unsuspecting swimmers,” she answered. I grinned, looking back at her.

“Okay, now the non textbook version. Have you ever seen one before? Held one? Interacted with one?” she nodded. “Then tell me. What are they like?”

“In my experience, they are little teases, which is why they nibble on toes and bathing suits. They are playful once you earn their trust, but are mostly fearful of interactions between them and any other creature,“ she cautiously added. 

I smiled, which made her beam in pride. “Exactly. Plimpy are sweet and fun creatures when you get to know them, but you have to earn their trust. And that usually involves being happy and laughing a lot,” I concluded, letting out a small laugh myself. My eyes trailed down to the water pail, the terrified plimpy backed up against the side. "Hi little guy," I cooed. Its breathing seemed to slow. "Oh did you hurt yourself?" Slowly, I raised my hands and set them on the edge of the pail. "You poor thing. How about we patch you up and get you all better." As soon as it took a step toward me, I dipped my hand in and gently scooped it up. Slowly, I rose to my feet and turned to the table, placing the plimpy in the water. "Elira, can you get me the ointment that's on the table over there?" I asked, nodding in the direction of my request. 

Silently she did as she was told, while I looked over the various burns the plimpy had. Wordlessly, she handed me the ointment, and I began to smear it on the burns. "Won't that ointment come off in the water?" She questioned, eyeing the bottle of ointment.

I shook my head. "it's a special kind we use just for water creatures. The healing properties immediately sink into the skin. The burns should be gone within the next few minutes," I explained. We could already see the plimpy skin mend and heal within a minute, and within 5, the burns were completely healed. 

"So what's next?" Elira excitedly asked.

"Well, the plimpy was the last of my patients. Now we have to take it back to the lake to set it free. Then nothing. I was planning on dropping by my house before I head to the pub tonight. You're welcome to join me, but if not, you're free to wander around the town."

"What's at the pub?" Her head tilted as we began our short journey to the lake.

"A few of us are just going to have a few drinks there tonight. Nothing too big," I shrugged.

"I'd like to join. It sounds like fun." I smiled at her, letting out a small laugh. 

The release didn't take much time, and the way there and back was filled with small talk of our childhoods. From what she had said, Elira had gone to Hogwarts after transferring from Ilvermorny. And after graduating young Huffelpuff had graduated the year after the war, she went to the Irish Sanctuary. Now she was here, hoping to transfer. 

“So anyway, I really wanted to come here first because my mom spoke so highly of it. She actually worked here for like a year before transferring to America. And I would have come here first, but you guys didn’t have any openings. Now that there’s an exchange and possible transfer option, I jumped at the opportunity,” she explained, still so full of energy as we walked back through the forest. She continued, going on to tell me about her own experiences during the war, including fending off a few death eaters with the help of some students. 

My eyes narrowed and I stopped walking. “Wait, didn’t McGonagall send you younger students to your dorms?”

“She did, but she allowed some of us older students to fight while the others protected the younger students.” I hummed and nodded. “That’s actually where I met Mr. B. I was being chased by some Death Eaters but he stepped in and saved me. He fought beside me and got me back to school safely. That’s why I chose the Irish Sanctuary. Since i couldn’t come here yet, he took me under his wing and taught me how to duel better and taught me more spells while we worked with the animals.” My hands clenched at my sides, remembering a very different situation with the Slytherin Alumni. “You know, I’m sure he’ll be really happy to see you.”

“Elira, you do know that Mr. Lee and I don’t have the best relationship, right?” I found myself clenching my jaw as I looked down to the side.

“Well yeah, but you guys were so close for so long and I know that he’s sorry for everything he did. Maybe you two could make up?” Her face was so sweet and innocent, I couldn't bear to break her down. But I had to.

As a sigh escaped my lips, I shook my head. “Elira I-” We froze as a roar ripped through the air. My eyes immediately shot to the sky, searching. After a few more heart wrenching moments, a pure white dragon came into view, her eyes locking on me. 

“Shit,” I cursed, pushing Elira out of the way as I drew my wand. The dragon thrashed and roared, shaking the earth as she landed. “Opal,” I called out, trying to calm her, but it was no use. Her pupils were dilated and her body seemed to have no rhyme or reason to where it attacked. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Elira’s voice was shaking as she moved further back. 

I couldn’t answer her, I was too focused on taming the dragon in front of us. Suddenly, Opal let out an almost ear shattering cry, throwing her head back. My eyes widened, knowing what that meant. 

“Protego,” I shouted, casting the spell and sending a shield between us and the vivid red fire that came from her jaws. Once the fire had ceased, I cast Fumos, causing Opal to perk her ears up and her eyes would flick all around the sparkling cloud. I smiled softly and whispered, “Sonnium.” We watched as her eyes slowly drifted closed, her legs and head resting on the fallen leaves. With one hand extended, my fingers brushing against her opalescent scales, I set my wand back in it’s holder and exhaled. Her chest would rise and fall as I made my way around her, checking each area for any bumps or bruises, cuts or claw marks. There were none that I could see. 

“Is- is it dead?” Elira asked, hesitantly stepping out from behind a tree. “Wh-what happened?” 

"I don’t know,” I answered. “Opal is usually calm and happy. We got her when she was just a baby and she absolutely loves any humans. Did you want to come see her up close?” I softly laughed, watching Elira stand at a distance, her body tense and her eyes wide. I held my hand out, watching as she shook her head. “Come on, do you trust me?” She gulped, but nodded. Step by step, she made her way over to me, following as I went to Opal’s head. “I’m going to need her to be awake for this, so I need you to stay calm.” Almost mindlessly, she nodded, her eyes still wide and plastered on the dragon. Turning back to Opal myself, I pulled my wand out and pointed it at the sleeping dragon. 

Right before Elira snapped out of her fear and mumbled, “Wait, what?” I whispered a charm and a brilliant red light emitted from the end of my wand. When it faded, I set my wand back at my side and carefully placed my hands on either side of Opal’s face. We watched as her eyes slowly opened, her head tilting in my hands. I smiled and Elira gasped and scurried back. I laughed and drew her back in. 

“Trust me,” I told her. Her eyes darted between the dragon and I. I could feel her pulse ease. “Come meet her,” I nodded over to the now fully awake and calm dragon. “She will be very offended if you don’t pet her.” Elira gulped and nodded, carefully making her way over to me. I took her hand, moving it with my own and placing her palm down on Opal’s head. I heard her exhale with a shaking laugh when Opal hummed and closed her eyes, a pure sign of acceptance. “Good, now I have to continue checking her. Do you think that you can handle keeping her occupied? You just need to keep petting her.” I smiled when she seemed to nod faster than before. “Okay, call me over if you need anything,” I told her before standing and continuing my examination. No place that I touched seemed to get a reaction for her. Her neck, ears, wings and legs seemed fine. She was breathing perfectly and her rib cage felt in perfect condition. None of her scales were broken and I knew she had no problem breathing fire. My eyes began to narrow as I noticed a discoloration on her tail, I traced down it and pressed into the bruised area. With an annoyed and hurt grumble, Opal's head whipped around to me. “Sorry girl,” I held my hands up.

“What’s wrong?” Elira asked.

“It looks like her tail was broken back here. I can mend the bone and put ointment on it, but it has to heal by itself after that.” I heard her hum. “Episky,” I quickly said, pulling my wand out to heal the bone. Opal growled and huffed out a puff of smoke. “Hey, don't be like that,” I laughed at the childish dragon. “Don't worry, the worst part is over,” I promised her, slipping my wand back in it’s holder. “El, can you have me the ointment and bandages?”

“Sure,” she responded, quickly getting up to help. “You seem to know a lot about dragons,” she pointed out. 

I smiled and nodded. “I was friends with Charlie in school and he never shut up about them,” I laughed. 

“So why don't you work in the Dragon Sanctuary?”

I shrugged, applying the ointment. Sometimes, I had wondered that myself. “Because then Charlie would be out of his Head position,” I joked. Elira laughed and I started to tie the cloth around Opal’s tail. “I love dragons, but, in all honesty, my passion lies with all of the other magical creatures. At least not many of them would try and eat me,” I grinned at the curiously tilted head of the white dragon. 

“Not that any would be able to get close to you,” a voice shouted behind us, causing Opal to stand. Quickly, I snapped my smile to a fierce glare. 

“Charles Weasley," I began, spinning on my heels. “Why in Merlin's name is Opal away from the Valley? And what in the bloody hell happened to her tail?”

He laughed, putting his hands up, which were promptly pushed by Opal’s head so that he could pet her. I swear that Opal was part feline sometimes. “There was a rock slide and she got trapped under it. One of the rocks crushed her tail and when we got her free, she flew away and we couldn’t get her back. Pretty sure she came straight to you,” he laughed. It was true. Opal seemed more connected to me than any of the other trainers and I had no idea why. Her first sight was of Charlie, and Anthony was her main handler. But she always listened to me. 

“And why was there a rock slide?” My hands went to my hips.

“That would be because of one of my guys,” a sheepish and familiar deep voice spoke up. My eyes widened and my heart stopped. Bloody hell. “One of my men got carried away trying to impress a dragon trainer and he caused a rock slide.”

“Ugh, was it Roger?” Elira’s voice sounded disgusted behind me. 

The man nodded and folded his arms. I slowly turned my attention from the troublesome red head to the auburn haired Slytherin Alumni. His eyes were already focused on me, his face stern, yet warm. Was this really the same Barnaby? Clearing my throat, I looked back at Charlie. “I already used Episky on her tail and put ointment and a wrap on it. It should be able to heal on its own now.” I told him. “Make sure she gets back to the Valley safely. No flying.” I poked his chest. With a laugh, he fake saluted. “Try not to roast those idiots alive,” I grinned at Opal. I gave her one last pet, kissing her snout, before turning and walking away, Elira right behind me. 

“Wait, Alice,” she called after me. “What was that about? I thought you would love to see Mr. B.”

I shook my head. “Like I said, Elira, he and I don't have the best relationship.”

“But I thought you two could make up and-”

“No,” I sternly told her. “The damage is too big.” That was the last thing I told her before we walked silently back to the village. From there, I told her to get ready and meet me at the bar at the scheduled time. She seemed upset that I wouldn't even try to mend the bonds with him, but how could I? How could I trust him again? How could I ever see him as a friend again after everything that happened? It wasn’t possibly and she had to understand that. 


End file.
